Cassie was meant to be a mountain lion... or a German Shepherd... or a Wolf with a large territory to patrol.

Constantly on guard, ever vigilent, totally willing to take on all comers... She's the first to investigate any unexpected noise in the house, leaping from her bed to sound the alarm. Even when woken from a sound sleep, she begins barking from under the blanket to let the perp know she's on to him and will be there shortly to dismember his sorry ass.

Conversely, when done terrifying visitors with her fierce bark, she's the first to kiss an extended hand or climb in a lap.

She is also the regulator. She makes the rules about who can (Maddie) or cannot (Fiona) sneak frood from another dog's dish. She also determines which cat is allowed in the house (Bad Girl) and which is not (Buddy Boy). She's not above cornering a cat and sounding the alarm if they are where they should not be, either in the house or in a room of the house she's deemed off limits to them.

And she's hell on squirrels, birds and any neighborhood cat unlucky enough to stray into her back yard.